Complete genome sequence of Piscirickettsia salmonis LF-89 (ATCC VR-1361) a major pathogen of farmed salmonid fish

Abstract

Piscirickettsia salmonis, the causative agent of salmonid rickettsial septicemia (SRS), is a significant threat to the healthy and sustainable production of salmonid farming industry. This Gram-negative bacterium, originally isolated from a coho salmon in Southern Chile, produces a systemic infection characterized by colonization of several fish organs. P. salmonis is able to infect, survive, and replicate inside salmonid macrophages however little is known about its mechanisms of pathogenesis. Here, we present the whole genome sequence and annotation of the P. salmonis reference strain LF-89 (ATCC VR-1361). The genome contains one circular chromosome of 3,184,851 bp and three plasmids, pPSLF89-1 (180,124 bp), pPSLF89-2 (33,516 bp) and pPSLF89-3 (51,573 bp). A total of 2850 protein-coding genes, 56 tRNAs and six copies of 5S-16S-23S rRNA.

Keywords: Piscirickettsia salmonis; Salmon farming; Salmonid fish pathogen; Salmonid rickettsial septicemia.